New This Week: 3 Laundry Room Ideas You Might Not Have Thought Of
Three home design professionals share smart ideas that could significantly improve the function of your space
Sometimes one simple design decision can make a world of difference in how a space performs. Here, three home design professionals share the one smart idea that drastically improved the function of a laundry room.
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2. Pet Washing Station
Designer: Brian Carlson of McKinney York Architects
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 55 square feet (5.1 square meters); 6½ by 8½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “For this new-build home, the owners wanted the laundry room to feel light, modern and more than just a place for a washer and dryer to be tucked into a corner,” architect Brian Carlson says. “They wanted a flexible, multiuse space.”
Smart idea. Pet washing station. If you have pets, this feature is worth considering whether you’re remodeling an existing laundry room or designing one for a custom home. Laundry spaces already need plumbing lines for the appliances, so routing in additional water and drain lines won’t be a significant additional cost. Plus, laundry rooms are typically located near a back door or garage entrance, making them prime spots to wash a pet that has gotten muddy outdoors.
The pet washing station shown here features a raised platform, making it easier for the homeowners to wash their small dog. The glass partition can swing open to allow larger dogs to jump onto the platform. “A hand-wash shower head was installed instead of a standard fixed type, to control water flow and direction when bathing dogs of all sizes and even the occasional small child,” Carlson says. “The dog washing station doubles as a sink. And a drying rack can be inserted into the shower for drying wet clothes, bathing suits or dog towels.”
Other special features. Open corner cabinet for dog bedding. White subway tile protects the walls from splashing; there is also porcelain tile flooring. A quartz folding countertop sits atop the appliances.
Designer tip. “Walking into the laundry room, you know you’ll be doing chores,” Carlson says. “So it is important to design these spaces to feel inviting yet functional. For this small room located in a partially subterranean space, we utilized light and bright colors to make the room feel more open and generous. Also, hanging whimsical art helps a typically utilitarian space feel more welcoming.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowner wanted a clean, neat space, but with a dog bath, that can be a challenge,” Carlson says. “To keep things spotless, we chose colors for the floors, cabinetry and walls that contrast with most dog hair in order to see what areas need cleaning.”
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Designer: Brian Carlson of McKinney York Architects
Location: Austin, Texas
Size: 55 square feet (5.1 square meters); 6½ by 8½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “For this new-build home, the owners wanted the laundry room to feel light, modern and more than just a place for a washer and dryer to be tucked into a corner,” architect Brian Carlson says. “They wanted a flexible, multiuse space.”
Smart idea. Pet washing station. If you have pets, this feature is worth considering whether you’re remodeling an existing laundry room or designing one for a custom home. Laundry spaces already need plumbing lines for the appliances, so routing in additional water and drain lines won’t be a significant additional cost. Plus, laundry rooms are typically located near a back door or garage entrance, making them prime spots to wash a pet that has gotten muddy outdoors.
The pet washing station shown here features a raised platform, making it easier for the homeowners to wash their small dog. The glass partition can swing open to allow larger dogs to jump onto the platform. “A hand-wash shower head was installed instead of a standard fixed type, to control water flow and direction when bathing dogs of all sizes and even the occasional small child,” Carlson says. “The dog washing station doubles as a sink. And a drying rack can be inserted into the shower for drying wet clothes, bathing suits or dog towels.”
Other special features. Open corner cabinet for dog bedding. White subway tile protects the walls from splashing; there is also porcelain tile flooring. A quartz folding countertop sits atop the appliances.
Designer tip. “Walking into the laundry room, you know you’ll be doing chores,” Carlson says. “So it is important to design these spaces to feel inviting yet functional. For this small room located in a partially subterranean space, we utilized light and bright colors to make the room feel more open and generous. Also, hanging whimsical art helps a typically utilitarian space feel more welcoming.”
“Uh-oh” moment. “The homeowner wanted a clean, neat space, but with a dog bath, that can be a challenge,” Carlson says. “To keep things spotless, we chose colors for the floors, cabinetry and walls that contrast with most dog hair in order to see what areas need cleaning.”
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3. Recessed Components
Designer: Cindy Jacques of Buttercup Designs
Design-build contractor: Daniel Builders
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Size: 109 square feet (10 square meters); 7½ by 14½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners desired a wow factor for this laundry room and also needed additional storage with more functional cabinetry,” says designer Cindy Jacques, who collaborated with her clients using Houzz ideabooks. “The original layout included an interior door that blocked usable space, and a small closet that wasn’t practical. Reconfiguring slightly and adding a pocket door helped create efficient use of the space.”
Smart idea. The design-build team recessed the dryer vent box. “This enabled the dryer to be placed closer to the wall, allowing for more walking space and avoiding an awkward gap between the appliances and the wall,” Jacques says.
Other special features. Gold-finish hanging rod, hardware, faucet and light fixture. Marble-look quartz countertop. Arabesque marble tile backsplash. “It was the first selection made for this laundry room,” Jacques says of the latter. “It was a splurge but is stunning and unexpected in a laundry room.” Jacques designed a tall cabinet (to the left of the appliances) to fit the homeowners’ vacuum cleaner, and included an outlet for charging the vacuum.
Watch now: See a Houzz editor discuss three smart laundry room ideas from pros
Light fixture: Warwick three-light semiflush in Brittania Gold, Savoy House; faucet: Trinsic single-handle pull-down in champagne bronze, Delta; cabinet hardware: Blackrock knobs and pulls in golden champagne, Amerock Hardware; cabinet paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams; wall paint: Pale Oak, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
4 Storage and Style Ideas in Top Laundry Rooms of Spring 2020
How to Remodel the Laundry Room
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Shop for essential cleaning products
Designer: Cindy Jacques of Buttercup Designs
Design-build contractor: Daniel Builders
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Size: 109 square feet (10 square meters); 7½ by 14½ feet
Homeowners’ request. “The homeowners desired a wow factor for this laundry room and also needed additional storage with more functional cabinetry,” says designer Cindy Jacques, who collaborated with her clients using Houzz ideabooks. “The original layout included an interior door that blocked usable space, and a small closet that wasn’t practical. Reconfiguring slightly and adding a pocket door helped create efficient use of the space.”
Smart idea. The design-build team recessed the dryer vent box. “This enabled the dryer to be placed closer to the wall, allowing for more walking space and avoiding an awkward gap between the appliances and the wall,” Jacques says.
Other special features. Gold-finish hanging rod, hardware, faucet and light fixture. Marble-look quartz countertop. Arabesque marble tile backsplash. “It was the first selection made for this laundry room,” Jacques says of the latter. “It was a splurge but is stunning and unexpected in a laundry room.” Jacques designed a tall cabinet (to the left of the appliances) to fit the homeowners’ vacuum cleaner, and included an outlet for charging the vacuum.
Watch now: See a Houzz editor discuss three smart laundry room ideas from pros
Light fixture: Warwick three-light semiflush in Brittania Gold, Savoy House; faucet: Trinsic single-handle pull-down in champagne bronze, Delta; cabinet hardware: Blackrock knobs and pulls in golden champagne, Amerock Hardware; cabinet paint: Alabaster, Sherwin-Williams; wall paint: Pale Oak, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
4 Storage and Style Ideas in Top Laundry Rooms of Spring 2020
How to Remodel the Laundry Room
Find an interior designer
Shop for essential cleaning products
Shop for organizing products
Item 1 of 5
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1. Raised Appliances
Designer: Deborah Leamann
Builder: Worthington & Shagen Custom Builder
Location: Newtown, Pennsylvania
Size: 250 square feet (23 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. Add style, function and a sink large enough to hold a bucket and a mop.
Smart idea. Deborah Leamann designed custom cabinetry that features a raised platform, or pedestal, that elevates the washer and dryer off the floor, making it easier to get in and out of the appliances. She designed the feature with enough space behind the appliances to accommodate extra-long cords and vent tubing. Leamann says a tradeoff is that two people are needed to slide out the appliances and set them on the floor for maintenance.
Other special features. Off-white cabinets (Feather Down by Benjamin Moore). Tumbled travertine tile flooring. The homeowners fell in love with the patterned wallpaper (Les Touches by Brunschwig & Fils), and Leamann used the pattern for the window treatment as well for a cohesive design element.
Designer tip. “When a space is small but full of activity and function, it is important to use a single decorative element to bring all of the elements together,” Leamann says.
“Uh-oh” moment. “When the homeowner said to me, ‘We need a sink to fit a bucket and mop,’ I thought, ‘Oh no,’” Leamann says. “We found the right sink from Kohler. It’s a workhorse and yet still stylish and attractive.”
Trim paint: White Dove, Benjamin Moore